I'm only thirteen, and the past few days I've been writing songs, I've written 3 so far, and there is one I am extremely impressed with, and I would not put them up on the internet without a copyright. How can I copyright something, is it hard? Keep in mind I'm only 13!

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What is copyright? Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works. Do I have to register with your office to be protected? No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration.” Why should I register my work if copyright protection is automatic? Registration is recommended for a number of reasons. Many choose to register their works because they wish to have the facts of their copyright on the public record and have a certificate of registration. Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees in successful litigation. Finally, if registration occurs within 5 years of publication, it is considered prima facie evidence in a court of law. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration” and Circular 38b, Highlights of Copyright Amendments Contained in the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA), on non-U.S. works.

If you live in the US or its territories, or if your country observes the rules either of the Universal Copyright Convention (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Copyright_Convention ) or the Berne Convention (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berne_Convention_for_the_Protection_of_Literary_and_Artistic_Works ), your work is copyrighted from the moment it's saved to a fixed medium, whether it’s your hard drive, a notebook, or Sharpie on a paper napkin. You do not need to register your copyright to market the lyrics to bands or share them. However, if you plan to post the lyrics online, where theft is highly probable, you may want to register your work for the additional protection it affords in the even they're stolen and used for commercial purposes--i.e., some musician records a song with your lyrics and sells the results. Get the information and forms needed at http://www.copyright.gov or by writing to Library of Congress, Copyright Office, 101 Independence Avenue S.E., Washington, D.C. 20559-6000. You do not need to be a US citizen or resident. It costs $45 US. BTW, mailing a sealed envelope containing your lyrics to yourself, and leaving it sealed, or arranging any other sort of delivery, with or without witnesses, offers you no legal protection at all. There is no case law in the US in which any court, at any level, recognized this "poor man's copyright." Source: http://loc.gov, the Library of Congress, which issues copyright registrations.